Cultural correspondent Bess Hochstein reports from Pittsfield: Downtown Pittsfield was the place to be on Saturday, May 28 for lovers of wine and art, as Leslie Ferrin (in photo, on the right) reopened her North Street gallery with The Pursuit of Porcelain, a show she called one of her best ever, preceding Berkshire Museum's biennial wine auction and dinner, with interim executive director Maria Mingalone (in photo, on the left) at the helm. The arts community viewed the Ferrin Gallery reopening as a homecoming of sorts, and came out in force to welcome Ferrin and her partner Donald Clark back to North Street. A quick stroll down the road, an elegantly dressed crowd was bidding up a storm in the Museum's main galleries, which had been cleared to display one room full of rare wines and another brimming with dinners, vacations, tickets to various events, and other silent auction lots. The action moved to the auditorium, where auctioneer Charles Antin, wine specialist and associate V.P of Christie's in New York, fielded enthusiastic bidding, fueled, in part, by Taittinger's Champagne, which flowed freely throughout the event. All told, the evening, which included a choice of sumptuous dinners catered by Chef Michael Roller (in the Museum's Crane Room) or Shelly Williams of Haven Cafe (onstage at The Colonial), raised close to $200,000 for the Museum's educational programs.
Artist Julio Granda with Stuart Chase, CEO of 1Berkshire; Bill Wright, whose photographs of The Pursuit of Porcelain artists are included in the show, with Emporium entrepreneur Carrie Wright and their daughter Paige.
Gallerista Leslie Ferrin with artist Susan Mikula; Caitlin Nash and Mitch Nash of BlueQ.
Artists Michael Boroneic and Jeffrey Lipton, who has work in the show; Ferrin Gallery's Donald Clark with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow.
Artists Joe Wheaton and Dan Mahoney with Hope Sullivan of IS183 Art School of the Berkshires and Elke Mahoney.
Jen Hines and William Hines, Jr., managing director of Interprint, with Lori Mazzeo; Rachel Hirschey, a nurse in New York City, with her mother, Kathy Daury of Legacy Banks.
East coast sales manager Guillaume Suss with Constance Bichot and Wine Auction guest of Honor Alberic Bichot, head of the historic Maison Albert Bichot Burgundy negociant house and owner of 220 acres of vineyards in France; Museum board member Elizabeth "Buzz" McGraw with Claire Naylor-Pollart.
Realtor Nancy Kalodner with Doug Shufelt and gala co-chair Wendy Gordon; gala co-chairs Nancy Edman Feldman and Mike Chefetz.
Carol Scarafoni with Museum interim executive director Maria Mingalone.
Katherine Brambilla with auctioneer Charles Antin of Christie's; Robin McGraw, in his signature kilt, with Dr. Bruce Zetter.
Barbara Schulman of Wheeler & Taylor with Jonathan Ball; gala wine committee chairman Jim Nejaime with Heidi Nejaime.
Free-flowing Taittinger's fueled bubbly bidding during the live auction. Guest of Honor Alberic Bichot donated the lot that garnered the highest bidding: a VIP trip to Burgundy, including airfare, lodging, and an invitation to the exclusive Hospices de Beaune wine auction, vineyard and winery tours, plus a case and a half of exquisite Burgundian white and red wines.
Written by
Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
